(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a notebook computer, and more particularly to a notebook computer having a pen input device which can serve both as a notebook computer and a pen computer.
(2) Description of the Related Art
As has been well known, a personal computer referred to as a desktop computer comprises a main body, a monitor and a keyboard, and is mounted on a desk to be used. Such a desktop computer, however, is not handy to carry outdoors and, at the time of operating the computer, data is inputted just by using the keyboard. This is a problem because a user has to learn how to use the keyboard for the operation of the computer.
In order to solve this problem, a small-sized portable computer, i.e., a notebook computer and a pen computer in which a user inputs data by means of a pen without the use of the keyboard has been developed and widely distributed.
A conventional notebook computer as shown in FIG. 8 comprises a main body 1 having a keyboard 2, a floppy disk drive 3, a hard disk drive, and the rest of any peripheral equipment, a display means including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory device, a liquid crystal display panel 11 as a monitor, and a hinge 5 formed in a foldable form to connect the lower portion of the display means 10 to the rear portion of the main body.
This notebook computer is used in the state that the liquid crystal display panel 11 looks forward by getting the display means 10 up. When not in use, the display means 10 is folded over the upside of the main body 1 to shut the computer up in such a manner that the computer takes the form of a customary bag to be portable.
In regard to the pen computer, data is inputted by using a pen on a liquid crystal display panel, and input or output of data is possible without the use of the keyboard.
The notebook computer, as mentioned above, is handy to carry but has the disadvantage of giving limited play to its functions because it can only operate by means of the keyboard. As circumstances require, the efficiency of work is increased by using either a pen computer or a notebook computer.
As mentioned above, the pen computer can operate without the use of the keyboard but programs for the pen computer have not yet been developed enough to take over the operations that a conventional computer carries out. Hence, the notebook computer and the pen computer were manufactured separately according to the conventional art technology, and have their own limited functions individually, which cannot meet the above requirements.
Thus, in order to solve the problems, researches have been recently made regarding the computers serving both as a notebook computer and a pen computer.